Thursday, February 02, 2006

She wore a long, black cape and a colorful hat. Stunning. Beautiful. Sexy. And on the back of her garb read the word Viva!

I smiled and she smiled back. Then she gracefully danced away. Two seconds later, I saw another one. Then another! Then another! And out of nowhere, four identical women banded together in formation and walked down the main street of downtown Puerto Vallarta like a gang of Femme Fatales looking for their next victim.

Wow. When I die, that's the way I wanna go.

"So, what do you think Viva is?" my dad asked as we stopped in the middle of the street to gaze.

"I don't know. But I intend to find out," I said.

About 15 minutes later, my family and I found ourselves in front of the following store:

Hmmm...Viva! I wonder if this is where that gang of girls came from. Better go inside and inquire.

I located a manager in the store and asked about the women. He put his hand on my shoulder, nodded like a proud father and flashed one of those Oh, so you don't know? kind of smiles. And like Antonio Banderas himself, Marco said:

"They are 'The Viva Divas.' It's like a...how-you-say, 'advertisement'? Si. The women promote the store by walking into restaurants around town. Everyone notices them. They are beautiful. And they pass out little cards with pictures of our items. Kind of like a movie when you see the ah...how-you-say, 'preview'? Ah, yes. It makes the customers want to learn more."

I thanked Marco for the info as we exited Viva. My parents, brother and I walked down the streets of Puerto Vallarta as our vacation continued. I carefully watched every person pass by, hoping to catch another glimpse of a Viva Diva.

Pero nada.

However, on the floor of the restaraunt we ate dinner at, I noticed a small card. When I reached over to pick it up, it read:

Dear Visitor and Resident:

We have a small gift for you, no strings attached. (We are not selling time share.) We truly believe well designed jewelry does not have to cost a fortune. Drop into Viva this week and bring this card with you. Our packable hats will protect you from the sun. Our French ballet flat and espadrilles will make you want to skip and dance. And our jewelry will make you swoon.